DA-PRDP IMPLEMENTS P272-M FMRS IN SIBUGAY

The Department of Agriculture’s Philippine Rural Development Project (DA-PRDP) in Region 9 is now implementing over P272 million (M) worth of farm-to-market roads in four municipalities of Zamboanga Sibugay.

DA 9 Regional Director Constancio G. Alama, reported that as of June, five sub-projects under the component of Intensified Building-Up of Infrastructure and Logistics for Development (I-BUILD) are being implemented in RT Lim, Buug, Siay and Tungawan municipalities.

Alama disclosed that in R.T. Lim, concreting of two FMRs worth P76 M are underway. The Casacon-Tilasan segment covering 3.64 kilometers (km) worth P38 M is 52.7% complete as end of June 30, while the Antonio-Lugami FMR measuring 3.5 kilometer worth P38 M is 52.3% complete.

Another ongoing FMR concreting is thePamintayan to Bawang segment in Buug covering 3.62 km. with a total project cost of P46.95 M and physical accomplishment of 54.4% as of June 30.

In Siay, the PRDP commenced the concreting of 6.96 km FMR, traversing three barangays: from Bagong Silang toVillagracia up to the remotest upland barangay of Magsaysay (amounting to P61 M.

Meanwhile, the groundbreaking of Concreting of San Isidro-Little Margos-San Isidro-Sitio Limanon FMR in Tungawan worth P87 M worth of FMR covering 8.22 km. was commenced on June 29. The project is expected to finish by October 2016.

Alama explained that these concreted FMRs,which connect trading centers and processing plants with production areas, will further spur the productivity and competitiveness of farmers in Zamboanga Sibugay, which is tagged as the “rubber capital” in the Zamboanga Peninsula.

The Provincial Agriculture Office of Sibugay has accounted a total of 22,154 rubber farmers producing over 3.15 million metric tons of lumps in a year from the 66,483 hectares planted to rubber.

“These PRDP sub-projects would not only benefit rubber farmers but all the farming households and increase the agricultural productivity of the four municipalities,” added Alama.

For Siay alone, a concretely paved FMR from Bagong Silang to Magaysay would increase rubber production area by 1,745 hectares. Likewise, travel time of farmers from farm to market or rubber processing centers will be reduced from 12 minutes per kilometer to 5 minutes per kilometer. This would mean reduction of hauling cost by 50% and zero or little spoilage of agri products.

PRDP is a six-year national project that aims to establish a modern, inclusive, value-chain oriented, and climate resilient agriculture and fisheries sector. It is implemented through the partnership of the DA, World Bank and LGUs. (Remai S. Alejado, DA9)